


Destroying Trust

by Ruddcatha



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Anger, Dark, F/M, Fear, Gen, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Psychological Analysis, Psychological Trauma, Terror, mentions of being sold into slavery, minor torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:40:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruddcatha/pseuds/Ruddcatha
Summary: What impact did Inuyasha's childhood and his experiences have on how he views friendship, companionship and even love.  A look at Inuyasha's life before the series begins and the psychological impact it had on the Hanyou.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, InuYasha & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), InuYasha/Kikyou (InuYasha)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. The death of trust

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Inuyasha, that is the property of a woman much more talented than me. I am merely borrowing the characters to answers questions that I have about the characters themselves.  
> _____________________________________________________________  
> This is my first story for Inuyasha, and the first story I have written in about 20 years. It is developing out of a debate on what psychological impact Inuyasha's upbringing had on him, how he viewed others, what it caused in his ability to trust or open up to others. It may also lead into looking at how someone who has known little kindness begins to view and understand love. This will hopefully be a multi chapter story, leading up to what we all know and love.

The sound of children’s laughter echoed in the courtyard.

“Over here, throw it over here!” “aww come on, pass it to me!” 

Caught up in their game of catch, the group of children did not hear the rustling of the bushes near them. A pair of golden eyes, almost amber in color, peered out at the group of friends, growing wider as the owner watched a patchwork ball being tossed among the group. A tall thin boy in the group tripped as he ran to catch the ball, and it bounced towards the bush the golden eyed child was hiding in. A streak of red burst out of the bushes, running to catch the ball. 

The group of children all froze as they watched a white-haired youth grab the ball, two dog ears on the top of his head twitching in excitement as he yelled “I’ve got it, who is open?” The boy, clad in red, bound into the middle of the group, almost juggling the ball in his excitement. 

He turned to toss the ball back to the boy who had tripped, to find that the youth was backing away from him… whispering “Inuyasha” in a quiet voice. 

A sneer appeared on his face as he meets Inuyasha’s eyes, purposefully turning his back on the white-haired boy. Inuyasha’s ears, previously twitching in excitement, stilled and began to droop, his enhanced hearing catching snippets of whispers “stupid half-breed,” …ieve he tried to play with us...” tears began to form in his eyes, before he hardens his gaze, his face contorting into his own sneer, an elongated canine tooth appearing over his lips. Inuyasha turned and stopped away from the village, growling. 

From behind a screen, his mother watched, her chocolate eyes shimmering with unshed tears. 

“Inuyasha” she whispered, “I wish they would see you for who you are, and not just their fears.”

Inuyasha did not stop or release his sneer until he reached a small brook a distance from town. His ears twitched, listening to the sounds around him, desperate to confirm that he was alone. The scent of unshed tears clouded his nose, dulling the scents of the forest around him. Alone, his face falls and the tears begin to flow. He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his red haori, releasing the soft scent that lingered on the fabric, a smell of roses and vanilla that was unique to his mother. He knelt by the edge of the brook, picking up a small stone and throwing it into the water. 

“Not like I really wanted to play anyway…. Stupid idiots...” he stated softly, trying to convince himself it was true. 

He jumped up at the sound of a branch snapping behind him, growling at the person intruding on his solitude. His growl softens as a young girl stepped into his view. She appeared to be the same age he was, eight or nine in human years, with long black hair and dark eyes.

“What do you want?” he snarled at her, wincing internally as he heard his voice waiver. 

She tilted her head and simply asked “why are you crying?” 

“Keh, who said I was crying? I’m irritated because you are bothering me.” 

She giggled softly, and asked again “why are you crying?”

Inuyasha turned his head back to the brook, away from the young girl laughing at him and his pain. 

“Keh, I wasn’t crying” he growled, his voice deepening with anger, before he jumped into a tree to get away from her. 

She gasped, taking a step towards where he had just leapt from, her gaze darting to the trees around her to try and get a glimpse of the silver-haired hanyou. 

“Wait!!!” she cried out… “I just wanted to talk to you” she continued, her voice dropping. 

With a soft sigh she turned back to the village, walking away from the brook. A pair of golden eyes watched her movement as she walked back, and Inuyasha’s brows furrowed in confusion as he realized she had not been with the group of children that had humiliated him before. Curiosity peaked, he began to follow her back to the village, saying out of her range of awareness. He followed her to the edge of the village, where he lost sight of her among the huts. Instinctively, he sought out a trace of a scent that he could identify with her, his head tipped to the side when he was unable to find any distinctive sent. 

He started to seek her out when his mother called out “Inuyasha… come to dinner.” Inuyasha turned towards his home, thoughts of the young girl fading from his mind as he was enveloped in the comforting scent of his mother and home.

The next morning Inuyasha was awakened by a new and unfamiliar scent, almost hidden under the familiar scent of his mother. The rose and vanilla scent seemed a little sweeter, but for some reason the scent had his nose curling slightly, for the first time the scent was unwelcome. He crawled out of his futon to find his mother setting out breakfast, and the scent was lost in the scent of grilled fish, rice and miso that his mother had laid out for him to eat. His mother came behind him to stroke his ears as he finished eating, and his eyes closed as a rumble started in his chest at his mother’s actions. As his mother stopped, Inuyasha looked up at her to see her sad smile. He cocked his head at her, and her smiled brightened. 

“I was just thinking how like your father you are, that is all” she told her son, leaning down to hug him. Inuyasha again smelled the slightly sweet smell, but it faded before he could identify it. 

The thoughts of the smell lingered with him later that day as he made his way to the brook. As he walked, his gaze was caught by a branch that had fallen off a tree, his ears perked when he realized it was almost the right length for a sword. Snatching up the branch, Inuyasha pretended he had his fathers famed sword, Tessaiga, and was slaying demons and humans alike, his mind picturing all his tormenters in front of him, cutting them down to stop their laughter. 

Caught up in his game, he was startled by the young girl from the day before, who squealed and laughed, claiming “a hero has come to save me!” Inuyasha stared at her, not moving, until she blushed and looked away. “I didn’t get to introduce myself” she whispered, Inuyasha barely hearing her words. “My name is Minime, I’ve seen you in town, but I was too shy to approach you.” 

At those words, his head tilted, showing his confusion. His thoughts echoed in his head ‘ _but… no one ever seeks me out or wants to meet me… what am I not getting here?_ ’ Minime looked at him through her lashes, trying not to stare at the white ears twitching at the top of Inuyasha’s head in puzzlement. Suddenly Minime’s name was called from the village, causing her to gasp

“Oh no, I forgot I needed to help my mother!” She turned and started to scramble up the path.

“Wait!!!” he called out, “mu name is Inuyasha!” 

Minime turned with a laugh, calling back “I know baka, everyone in town knows your name.” before continuing into the village. F

olding his arms across his chest, Inuyasha watched her walk back to town, “Keh.” 

It was not until later that he realized that once again he had not been able to identify a smell on her. While he was puzzling on that fact, his thoughts turned to the smell he had noticed that morning, his face souring as he tried to determine what had caused that scent. Lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha did not realize the passing of time until he noticed the sky darkening, and a chill in the air. His stomach let out a loud growl as he turned and ran to home and his waiting dinner, thoughts of Minime and his confusion over the scents pushed from his mind in anticipation of his mother’s cooking.

Over the next few weeks, the sweet scent in his home taunted Inuyasha, it was not quite normal, but subtle enough that he often thought he had imagined it. When he went to the brook to think, Minime was always there waiting for him with a laugh. She was another puzzle for him, for an Inu hanyou, smells were a vital part of survival. He had spent every day for three weeks around Minime but had been unable to identify any smell that he could identify as “hers.” At times he wasn’t sure if he enjoyed her company, or if she gave him a puzzle to work out, but before he knew it she was part of his every day routine, and the day seemed empty until he say her or heard her laugh. For the first time, he began to feel that he had someone there for him other than his mother, with her soft laughter, smile, and above all, companionship. Inuyasha felt himself relaxing around her as the weeks went on, enjoying her company and having someone to talk to and pretend with. 

As the time went on, Inuyasha found himself discussing the changes to his mother’s scent with Minime, trying to reason out what it meant, as it was not a smell he had previously identified, and he hoped discussing it would help him figure out what it meant. She was the first person he had ever discussed scents with, his father had passed away the day he was born and no other inu yokai would acknowledge him, let alone a human, who typically looked at him with fear or revulsion in their eyes. 

Inuyasha’s excitement grew as he discussed scents and what he has found them to mean, and how each person has their own unique identifier, however in the village they tend to all muddle together. When inside the village, the only individual scent Inuyasha could ever identify was his mothers.

One day Inuyasha shyly mentioned his inability to detect a unique scent with Minime, his eyes flew wide at the look of anger that rippled over her face before she collected herself. 

Minime giggled, “Silly, why wouldn’t I have my own smell?” 

Inuyasha felt his cheeks go red at her tone, it sounded playful, but he could hear a thread of chastisement that made him hold back a whimper, scared he had offended the only person he could talk to. Inuyasha started to move slowly closer to Minime when she suddenly stood up and turned to walk away. He could not hold back a sound that time, and when Minime turned to look back at him he thought he saw a glint in her eyes for a second before her eyes teared up and ran to the village. Inuyasha stood there, stunned, unsure of what had happened, but he knew then something had profoundly changed between him and the girl he hoped was his first friend.

After that fateful discussion, Inuyasha started seeing Minime at the brook less and less. 

Every day he would run to the brook, waiting all day while thoughts of the increasingly noticeable scent around his mother ran through his brain. When he saw Minime, gone were the easy and open conversations they used to have, all Minime wanted to discuss was his mother’s scent and whether there had been any changes to it. Where the two had once met every day, Minime started to appear every other day, and slowly that grew, where Minime would appear to speak with him for a few minutes every few days. 

After two weeks of this, Inuyasha felt his temper peak, and he snapped “why do you suddenly care so much about my mother?” 

Minime’s face fell, but Inuyasha’s heighted eyesight picked up what looked like a smirk before it was carefully schooled away. 

Minime’s eyes filled with tears, and she sobbingly asked, “why have you become so mean to me, I just wanted to talk and help?” 

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed, not believing the tears, his ears tucked flat to his skull as he turned his head away with a “Keh.” 

He heard Minime turn and walk out of the forest, her slight sobs echoing in his head.

Inuyasha tilted his head back, eyes closed, to breath in the soothing scent of the forest, needing the familiar smell to help calm the little boy’s temper. A new smell caught his attention, his nose flaring as he recognized the slightly sweet scent that he had smelled around his mother. Dropping to the ground, Inuyasha tried to seek out the source of the scent, hoping it would shed some light on what was happening to his mother. His eyes grew wide with fear as he identified where the smell was the strongest, and he traced the fading smell down the same path Minime had just walked. Panicking, Inuyasha ran back to the village, following the scent to his mother’s house. 

“MOTHER” he cried, running in to the house, skidding to a stop in a panic as he saw the crumpled form of his mother near the entrance, the sweet smell overpowering her natural scent. 

Even more frightening was the slight scent of decay that now tinged his mother’s scent. 

Inuyasha ran back out the door, running to the healer’s hut. 

“Please,” he cried, running inside the hut, “my mother, I need you to help my mother!!” 

The healer took one look at the young boy, tears running down his face, and turned her back on him. 

“We don’t aid your kind, or those who associate with demons” was the response he received. 

Inuyasha ran over to her, begging, tears flowing down his face, grasping at her Hakama in desperation. * _SMACK_ * Inuyasha fell backwards from the strength of the blow, staring up in stunned silence. 

“you heard me half-breed” the healer whispered, walking to the back of her hut and away from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha hurried back to his house, lifting his mother to try and help her outside. 

“In..Inuyasha” she whispered, clinging to her son as he helped her into the fresh air.

As they exited the door, Inuyasha was almost overcome by the sweet smell, so strong it became cloying and overloaded his senses. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Minime watching the pair, his gut turning at the glee on her face watching his mother struggle to stand and breathe before she turned and walked toward the brook. Inuyasha eased his mother outside and helped her sit near a pillar supporting the house, checking to make sure her breathing was easier, waiting for her to ask the village adults for assistance before tearing after Minime. 

“What did you do to my mother?!” Inuyasha cried as he got closer to Minime, “UNDO IT NOW!!!!!” 

Minime turned and looked at him and laughed, her eyes glowing red as she turned. 

“Now why would I go and do that, half-breed pup of the great Inu Taisho?” 

Inuyasha stared at her, taking a step back as her image began to ripple, changing into the form of a spider with the head of an ox, green venom dripping down from two pincers. 

Inuyasha glared at the Ushi-Oni in front of him and screamed out “WHY! WHY WOULD YOU HURT HER?!” 

The Yokai laughed, and Inuyasha had to avoid venom that was thrown in his direction.

“She was a bonus; you were the one I was trying to kill.” 

Inuyasha’s voice lowered to a whimper “I trusted you...” he said quietly. 

The Ushi-Oni disappeared into the trees, its voice echoing back to Inuyasha “and why would anyone trust a filthy half-breed, if only the poison had affected you as well.” 

Inuyasha’s ears lowered as he let out a whine, turning back to the village. When he arrived, he felt his heart stutter at the group of people surrounding his mother, none moving to help her. He pushed through the crowd to find his mother collapsed on the ground, bruises on her face, and heard a rattling in her breathing that he had not heard before. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her son, and she raised a hand to gently rub her son’s ears. 

“Inuyasha” she whispered as tears openly fell down his face, “I’m so sorry to leave you alone.” 

Inuyasha shook his head at her statement “no Kaa-san, you aren’t leaving me, you’ll get better I promise” he whispered back, touching his mother’s cheek. He looked at her, beautiful in her kimono, her long black hair shining, barely registering as her chocolate eyes went dull, the hand rubbing his ears stilled and fell. 

“Kaa-san?” he whispered, nuzzling her cheek, “wake up Kaa-san.”

A pair of rough hands suddenly grabbed him, pulling him away from his mother. 

“NO KAASAN WAKE UP!” Inuyasha cried desperately, trying to break free and run back to his mother. 

“She’s dead” came the cold voice behind him, dragging him away from his mother. 

Inuyasha watched the villagers form a line between him and his mother, blocking her from his view, the children with their cruel eyes peaking out from behind their parents. 

“With her gone we have no need to let you stay here.” Inuyasha was let go and shoved away from the village “Begone with you, vile demon.” 

Inuyasha started to run back to his mother, stopping in shock when he felt the first rock hit him. He looked up in sadness to see rocks in the hands of not just the children, but the adults of the village, not registering the pain in his body as he was hit repeatedly by the rocks, the pain in his heart numbing him as he realized his mother, the only person he really could trust, the only person who accepted him, was gone. Inuyasha curled into a little ball as the rocks continued to strike him, as he began to accept that there would never be a place for him, and no one would ever care for him, a hanyou, hated by demons and humans equally. He let out a roar, scaring the villagers enough that they ran, leaving him with a clear view of the bruised body of his mother. Inuyasha himself up off the ground, stumbling towards his mother’s body, picking her up using his strength, and carrying her out of the village. 

Inuyasha carried her body for two days, searching for the perfect place to lay his mother to rest, finally finding it in a secluded part of the woods, surrounded by trees on three sides, with flowers blooming in the small meadow. As he dug the resting place for his mother with his own claws, he vowed to himself ‘ _never again. I won’t trust anyone ever again_.”


	2. The Perils of Being Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Inuyasha's first human night since his mother died. How does the hanyou handle it, and what trouble awaits him in a nearby village?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the Inuyasha Characters; however the storyline is my own. I am not receiving any financial benefit, just the pure enjoyment of writing and having others read my work.

Inuyasha wandered for several days in a daze. He looked down at his small hands and the dirt under his fingers. No matter how many times he scrubbed his hands, he could not seem to remove the physical reminder of laying his mother to rest. His tears had long since dried, the sadness in his heart though threatened to consume him. 

He had been on the run since burying his mother, trying to find food where he could, sleeping in short sprints high in trees or unoccupied caves. He had learned how to make a fire using his claws against a rock quickly, it was one of the few things keeping him alive. He had stayed close to streams for the first few days, at least then he could find fish and water. But his fires had drawn attention that he was not ready for… after the third day of being chased from his dinner by larger yokai or predators, watching wistfully as they ate his dinner, he learned to eat his fish raw and to eat it quickly before the scent drew others to his location. 

He knew he was being hunted. 

He didn’t know what it was, or why, but he was being hunted. He could feel the presence of a powerful yokai nearby, staying always at the outer range of his sense. He couldn’t

He didn’t know how long it had been… the days and nights had begun to blend. He only knew one thing.

That night would be a new moon.

And he had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. He looked to the darkening sky.

Tonight… he would die. 

Without his senses he wouldn’t be able to track the other yokai, to know how close it was getting to him. He wouldn’t be able to jump through the trees to avoid making tracks. Tears filled the small boy’s eyes that he forced down.

He was the son of the Inu No Taisho and the Princess Izayoi. If he met death that night, he would do it with his head held high. 

As the sun set, he felt his strength, such as it was, leave as his hair darkened to black. He looked down at his hands as his shoulders gave a slight tremble. His last line of defense, his claws, were gone for the night. Inuyasha knew the yokai was still likely tracking him, he hoped that the disappearance of his yoki would give it some pause and let him put more distance between them. He doubted he would be that fortunate, but he had to try.

Inuyasha ran as quickly as his now human body would let him towards a cleared path through the forest. He tried to avoid those as much as possible, they were too exposed and he ran the risk of running into humans and yokai alike, but he needed to be able to move quickly. His legs pumped furiously as he tried to put distance between himself and the yokai. In a way he felt fortunate, all he owned was the clothing on his back, he did not have to worry about leaving anything behind. Anything of value had been taken or destroyed by the villagers the moment his mother died. On a night like this, that was a disguised blessing.

He continued running until he saw a dim glow in the distance… A village. He had been avoiding them, but tonight, just for tonight, he thought it would be safer for him to sleep in a village, even if he hid in a stable. His mother had taught him there was safety in numbers, which is why they had stayed in their village for as long as they had. 

He hoped that was right. He would need that safety to survive.

Inuyasha heard movement behind him, a soft snap of a twig at the edge of his human hearing and knew that his pursuer was close… too close. He frantically scrambled forward, pushing his body beyond its limits until he drew near the buildings. He slid into the shadows, thankful for once for his dark hair. His red fire rat robe was covered in mud. If one wasn’t looking for him, he was invisible. 

He used the shadows to move through the town, moving ever closer to the center. The smell of food made his stomach both clench and churn. The smells were entrancing, even to his human nose. His mouth watered, but he forced his mind away from the food. 

Survival first. Scavenge later.

He needed to find somewhere to sleep, away from the wind. Inuyasha knew he was exhausted; he hadn’t slept more than a few hours a night since his desperate flight from the village with his mother’s body. His eyes were drawn to a stable and its piles of hay. It was open on one wall to the outside, but it was more shelter than he had been able to have in weeks. He crept towards it, checking to see if it was occupied, and sighed in relief when all he found was hay and a torn blanket. He moved back towards the smell of the food, dragging his foot behind him to create a mark in the dirt that he could follow back.

Inuyasha crept around the edge of the building, his eyes to the ground. He had seen others doing that in his village and heard them talking in the morning of the coins they had found. Maybe he could be lucky and find enough to buy a meal, that is if they would even let a child into the tavern. He wouldn’t eat much, he just wanted something… not raw or burned in his stomach. Maybe some bread to take with him. 

He found himself prowling the entire building, but he did not find any coin. What he did find was, to him, almost better. Vegetables, only partially rotten, and stale bread. It looked like it was being kept to the side to feed to the pigs, but beggars could not be choosers, and he was close to begging. He stuffed his pockets with as much bread as he could carry while he hastily ate a carrot. It was soft, but edible, and almost tasted like ambrosia to him. He searched around but did not find any meat to go with his vegetables and bread, but he was happy with what he had found. He scrambled back to the stable, hiding himself in a corner behind a pile of hay before daring to set out some of his hard-sought food to finally… finally… fill his stomach. 

The bread was hard, but filling, so he could not complain. The stable he was using for shelter had a trough that still contained some water. He knew he could get fresher water from the well at the center of town, but he was hesitant to leave his hiding spot. The trough contained enough water to slack his thirst, for which he was grateful. He finally grabbed the blanket and tucked himself into a pile of hay. The moment he allowed himself to relax his emotions crashed over him and he felt his eyes filling with tears. 

He missed his mother. More than his former home and comforts, he missed his mother. He was only eight, and before this ordeal he had never spent a night away from his mother. He didn’t know how to survive, to fight. His hand rose to his mouth to stifle the sound of his sobs. He couldn’t afford to have anyone find him, to chase him out. He just needed one night… one night to rest, to sleep. His silent sobs stole what strength and energy he had left, and he blissfully surrendered himself to the darkness.

Inuyasha woke to voices near him. He kept his eyes closed, wishing he had his usual hearing to be able to tell what was going on. His heart began to race as he caught snippets of words.

“… sell the clothing?”

“…ust a kid. What good would it do?”

“..ould sell him, he’s pretty enough someone would buy him.”

They… they were talking about him… 

He had no clue how much time had passed, or how close it was to daybreak. He was defenseless. There were at least two of them, and he heard one of them call out with glee as they found the food that he had hidden away so he didn’t crush it while he slept.

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him up, and Inuyasha’s eyes opened in fear. He stared at the man in front of him in horror. The man’s nose was no more than a mass of scars, and when his lips pulled back in a parody of a smile Inuyasha saw that more than half his teeth were missing or rotten. The man’s dirty blonde hair lay in matted clumps around his head in different lengths, and for the first time Inuyasha was grateful he didn’t have his senses, the smell from the man overpowered even his human senses.

Watery brown eyes gazed down at the struggling boy as the man assessed Inuyasha. 

“He’s a feisty one ain’t he?” the man’s partner sneered, moving to join Inuyasha’s captor. Inuyasha saw his precious hard sought food tucked into the pocket of the man’s jacket and fought even harder. That food could mean the difference between death and survival…

If he survived the night. 

Inuyasha opened his mouth to shout in the desperate home the town guard would hear and investigate. A moldy rag was shoved into his mouth as the second man grabbed his free arm.

“Now now, where’s the fun in you screamin’ boy?” The second man’s voice sent chills down Inuyasha’s spine. Where the first man seemed fueled by desperation, this man was cold, calculating… and completely in control. The expression in his eyes scared Inuyasha, he had seen that type of hatred and malice only once before, in the eyes of the human’s who had chased him out of his village.

“Tie him.” The second man handed the first a length of rope as he yanked Inuyasha’s hand backward. The first man moved behind Inuyasha to grab his second arm, easily overpowering the young boy to bind his hands behind him. Inuyasha’s eyes darted outside, desperate for any hint that dawn was near. He tried to spit the rag out of his mouth, but found himself unable to move it, the attempts only making him gag at the taste of mold and manure. 

He couldn’t afford to cry, couldn’t afford to lose himself to fear. He felt the prickling of tears behind his eyes and forced them down, he would not give them satisfaction of seeing him cry. Inuyasha pulled against his bond, testing the knot, looking for any give that could allow him to slip free. 

He just needed one moment, one chance… his legs were still free, and if he caught them off guard, he was sure he could get away from them. 

The second man was watching him too carefully, and Inuyasha knew the man was anticipating that reaction. He was purposefully keeping himself between Inuyasha and the entrance to the stable, and if Inuyasha tried to run, the man would easily be able to grab him. Inuyasha would have to wait until they were more in the open, and hope that his legs were not restricted.

The second man looked down at him, and Inuyasha could see the shrewd intelligence reflected in the man’s bright blue eyes. His black hair was tied back away from his face, and a single scar marred his right cheek. This was no vagabond, his air and mannerism identified him as a fallen gentleman. 

“Yes, he will make a nice addition to someone’s household, won’t he? A little feral, but that can be beaten out of him.” The second man said as he watched Inuyasha’s struggles. “If not, there are always those who would buy him just to break him. Bring him.”

The scarred man sneered as he grabbed Inuyasha around the waist before hauling the boy over his shoulder. Inuyasha lashed out with his feet, kicking everywhere he could, until the man wrapped his arm around his legs, pinning them down.

“You want to stop that boy,” the man hissed, “there are buyers who won’t care if you are injured or not.” 

Inuyasha let out a small whimper, and cringed when he heard the man laugh, the sound grating against his little human ears. He turned his head to the side, desperate for a breath of fresh air that wasn’t tainted by the smell of sweat and piss coming from the man’s clothes. His eyes widened as he looked to the horizon and the telltale lightening that announced the coming dawn.

He just needed to hold on a little while longer. Then he would be able to escape.

Inuyasha’s captors were quick to make their way out of the village, keeping to the shadows and alleyways rather than the main paths. Inuyasha watched the sky intently as they moved, waiting for the moment his strength would return. The men soon reached the tree line, intending to disappear into the forest when Inuyasha felt the telltale tingling in his body that told him his yokai was emerging.

Acting on instinct, Inuyasha slashed his foot across the man holding him, and felt a small amount of pride at the harsh cry the man let out.

“Be quiet you idiot.” The dark-haired man hissed, turning back to look at his companion.

“He fucking cut me.” Inuyasha’s captor snarled as he dropped Inuyasha to the ground.

“He’s an unarmed child. Pick him back up and let’s go.”

A deep growl echoed through the forest, making both men pause.

“The hell was that?” The blonde man whispered. The dark-haired man leaned down to his boot, and as he stood Inuyasha saw the glint of a blade in his hand.

“Be quiet.” the darker man hissed again his eyes darting around the woods.

Another growl sounded, and the two humans turned to look at Inuyasha, as they realized the growl was sounding from him. The air around the boy seemed to pulse before his hair lightened, the black fading to pure white as if the color had leaked out of the strands like ink. Two golden eyes stared back at the men, anger snapping in the depths, a hatred well beyond that of a normal child.

“Bloody hell…” the blonde man who had held Inuyasha gasped as he scrambled backwards.

“Get him you idiot,” the dark-haired man snapped “If he’s a half-yokai he will be worth even more in the auction house.” 

Inuyasha could feel his claws lengthening, and quicky used a sharp edge to free his arms from his bonds. With a loud snarl he twisted himself into a crouch as he squared off against his captors. The blond man lunged towards Inuyasha; the man’s movements hesitant as he faced off against the hanyou. 

Inuyasha easily dodged his movements, moving back with each motion, closer to the forest. He just needed to get close enough to jump into a tree and flee.

The flash of movement caught Inuyasha’s attention, and he swirled, a growl dripping off his lips as he saw three more men emerging from the tree line he had been trying to reach.

“You didn’t expect us to be alone, did you?” Inuyasha heard the dark-haired man sneer as the group of men circled Inuyasha.

Inuyasha spun, analyzing the five men that now surrounded him. He could feel his heart racing… He had fought before, sure… but it was pissant boys from the village trying to take him down, no more than one or two at a time but this…

These were seasoned scrappers, living on their wits and the domination of others to survive. The three new men each had weapons, two had knives, one drew a sword as he came closer. 

This would be a fight for survival… and even with his strength back, Inuyasha knew he was still one kid against five grown men. He was not coming out of this unscathed if he came out of it at all. He knew he needed to take out as many as he could before they captured him, and he hoped that he could piss them off enough that they killed him… death sounded like a better option than the auction house.

One of the men charged at him, and Inuyasha felt a fleeting moment of hope. If they attacked him one at a time, he may have a shot.

That hope was quickly dashed as he felt arms wrap around his waist as he tensed to strike the man approaching him. He had let himself get distracted and hadn’t noticed the men rushing him from behind. He was hauled off the ground as two men grabbed his legs, immobilizing his feet. Inuyasha lashed out, scratching his claws against any surface he could, his fangs doing damage to arms that got to close to his face, but it was little use.

He was still one child against five men. His heart sank as he was shoved to the ground, a man holding each limb as the dark-haired leader approached, flipping his knife as his blue eyes scanned the young hanyou.

“You are almost more trouble than you are worth.” 

The man crouched down near Inuyasha to trail the blade of his knife down Inuyasha’s cheek. Inuyasha felt a brief sting of pain as blood began to ooze, but the wound almost instantly began to heal. The man chuckled darkly, his knife repeating the action on the other cheek.

“Although, you could be entertaining… no one would know the damage we inflicted.” 

The blade flicked through the line of blood, catching some of the liquid on the blade. Inuyasha howled as he saw the man raise the blade to his mouth, his tongue darting out to taste the blood. Inuyasha knew he needed to get away, fighting the four men who held him with all his strength, but he was not able to make them budge. 

“Hold him still,” the dark-haired man hissed, his knife pointed to Inuyasha “the brat deserves what’s coming to him for the trouble he’s caused.”

Inuyasha’s sole focus became the blade of the knife as he desperately tried to avoid it. He knew he could heal from most wounds, but he did not want to find out what his limits were, not tonight, not to someone like that man. Inuyasha’s howls sounded feral as he fought in vain to break free. 

“Quiet you freak.” One of the men holding Inuyasha’s arm yelled as he hit Inuyasha upside the head with his free hand. Inuyasha refused to back down, snarling and continuing to howl as he thrashed. He felt the other man holding his arm’s hold slip… there was his chance. Inuyasha managed to shift to slash the man with his claws just as the knife came down into his leg.

Inuyasha’s scream of pain was torn from his soul. He lashed out at any of the bodies he could reach, quickly gaining back his freedom with his claws. The four men who had been holding him were soon out of commission, laying on the ground in pools of blood as Inuyasha stood, his weight balanced on one leg, his chest heaving as he stared down the ringleader.

“Well well well… you are trouble, aren’t you?” the man sneered as he stalked towards Inuyasha. “On second thought, forget the auction house, I will break you and kill you right here.”

Inuyasha crouched, trying to ignore the pain in his leg. He had never felt burning like this, the pain throbbing through his entire body. The red of his fire rat robe was darkened with his blood, and Inuyasha could feel it drip down his leg. 

_Use the blood._

Inuyasha’s ears perked for a moment as he caught the hint of a whisper. What did it mean, use the blood?

_Use the blood_.

Inuyasha’s hand trailed down to his leg, the blood staining his hand and gathered under his nails.

_Find the blades…_

What blades? What the hell did it mean, find the blades. There were no blades, other than the one the man had coming at him. Inuyasha tensed, waiting to strike when he knew what to do. His face went blank, showing no emotion as the man charged him. Inuyasha waited for him to get closer… just a few more steps… _there._

“BLADES OF BLOOD!” Inuyasha screamed, swiping his blood-soaked hand towards the vagabond. 

Inuyasha watched in horror and amazement as the sprays of blood hardened, becoming blades as they raced to meet the threat. The dark-haired man screamed as the blades pierced him before melting away as if they had never existed. Inuyasha saw the man hit his knees, his body torn apart, blood gurgling out of the myriad of wounds across the man’s body.

“Curse you, you freak.” The man choked out as he fell, his bright blue eyes going dull.

Inuyasha stood, frozen in shock. 

What… what had he just done…

He looked down at his hand, his claw covered in his own blood. A spark of hope tried to ignite… he had a weapon, an actual weapon, he could use. That could mean the difference between life and death. Inuyasha turned to leave but hesitated before he got too far. He quickly sniffed the area to see if anyone else was nearby before scurrying back to the bodies. They had taken his food, and if he were lucky, he would find something he could sell or trade. He took a small bag off the ringleader, the jewels inside held no meaning for Inuyasha but he knew they would for others. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t starve for the next few nights.

Inuyasha turned and fled into the forest, away from the village, away from _humans_. He ran as fast as he was able, ignoring the pain in his leg as best he could. He knew he needed to get away, to try and escape the area. He didn’t know how many more men they had, and the scavengers would soon be descending. He had learned his lesson, he would not sleep on his human nights, no matter where he was, it wasn’t worth it. Humans were weak and not to be trusted, his village and the vagabonds he had killed had taught him that. 


End file.
